Cosmetics Makers Turning to Stone

By

Tatiana Boncompagni

Updated July 7, 2006 12:01 a.m. ET

Ground-up rocks are the latest ingredients in face care.

A growing number of cosmetics makers are seeking new profits by charging the equivalent of hundreds of dollars an ounce for stone -- minerals like mica and iron oxides pulverized into a fine powder. (The powders' color comes from pigments in the rocks.) Makers say the products are good for sensitive skin, because they're natural and generally don't have talc or oils, and they can offer protection against the sun, thanks to titanium dioxide, a mineral that blocks...